St. John Neumann-Canton

St. John Neumann in Canton, MI was established in 1976. The patron saint is John Neumann of Philadelphia. He was born 1811 in Bohemia in what is now a part of the Czech Republic. He emigrated to the United States and eventually became the 4^th Bishop of Philadelphia where he served from 1852 until his death in 1860. He is, thus far, the only American Bishop to be canonized and his feast day is January 5.

Attending a mass at St. John Neumann was a bit of a homecoming for me. It is where I met and married my wife, Maria, and it is where our children were baptized into the Catholic faith. Of course, most of the people we knew at that time (the 90’s) are no longer there but much of what use to be still is today.

St. John Neumann has a very modern feel to it. It was built in a town (Canton) in the 70’s that was just starting out itself so it took on the more modernistic feel of the surrounding community. There are no pews or kneelers at St. John Neumann instead everyone sits in very comfortable cloth chairs. The altar is simply designed. It and the matching lectern are oak and had green clothes draped over them. There is a, sort, of art-deco designed crucifix that hangs over the altar.

Fr. Ron Richards is now the pastor at St. John Neumann. At the mass we attended, retired priest and weekend assistant, Fr. Manny Chircop, presented the homily. He spoke on the need for all of us to venture outside of our comfort zone to preach the good news of Jesus Christ to all those we come into contact with.

In many ways, St. John Neumann hasn’t changed much since we last attended masses here over 15 years old ago. It still has some wonderful parishioners who greeted us as we enter the church. The spirit and love for God resonated throughout the church. So we enjoyed our coming home to St. John Neumann; in fact, it almost felt like we had never left.

UP NEXT: St. Justin-Hazel Park

St. John Neumann Church in Canton, MI

Exterior shot of SJN

main entrance

art work at SJN

Portrait of John Neumann

Mural at SJN

Another view of the mural at SJN

The altar at SJN

Crucifix

altar at SJN

Mary with baby Jesus sculpture

St. Mel-Dearborn Heights

St. Mel’s is a neighborhood church in north Dearborn Heights. The patron saint of St. Mel’s was a 5^th century saint. His mother was Saint Darerca of Ireland; she was known as the “mother of saints” because most of her 19 children (17 boys and 2 girls) entered religious life and were later recognized as saints. Mel was a travelling Missionary and Evangelist most of his life. He gave most of what he earned to the poor. St. Mel’s feast day is February 7and he is the patron saint of the Roman Catholic diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois in Ireland.

St. Mel’s is a simply laid out church. When you enter through the main doors there is just a small vestibule area. Inside the church there are two rows of pews, that are made of light oak, which lead up to the altar. The main altar and lectern are very pure in design. Behind the altar is the music area with room for a choir. A large crucifix hangs in the rafters over the altar and choir areas. Another highlight of the church is a replica of the stone tablets that contain the 10 commandments. They are a constant reminder of God’s love for us and our duties as Christians in this world.

Fr. Tom Kramer is the pastor at St Mel’s. The gospel, for the week we attended, was from Luke where the angel Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her she would bear a son named Jesus who would save the world. Fr. Kramer spoke of the busyness of this time of year and how we need to always make time for Jesus and going to mass to hear God’s word and to give thanks for his many blessings.

St. Mel’s is a very simply designed church in a strong, family oriented neighborhood. The people at St. Mel’s are very proud and filled with the Holy Spirit and it shows in how they come together to worship and praise God’s name very week. We thoroughly enjoyed the time we got to spend at St. Mel’s and every one we came in contact with.

UP NEXT: St. John Neumann-Canton

St. Mel's in Dearborn Heights

St. Mel's Catholic Church

Front entrance to St. Mel's

St. Mel's Catholic Church

Mural at entrance to church depicting St. Mel

Statute of Mary 

The altar at St. Mel's

Art work at St. Mel's

replica of the 10 commandments

Altar with crucifix in background

Mary and Joseph

SS. Peter and Paul Jesuit-Detroit

Ss. Peter and Paul Jesuit Catholic Church is the oldest Catholic Church in the city of Detroit. It was built between 1844 and 1848 and at one time served as the bishop’s home. It is located on Jefferson Avenue on the eastern edge of downtown.

Like most old churches; the first thing you notice when you enter the building is the history that abounds within. The solid oak pews, that summons us to sit in their comfort while listening to God’s words, and the many hand carved statutes that adorn the altar and other areas of the church speak to us of God’s glorious creations and miracles.

The altar is large and expansive, as you might expect from such a historic church. There is a large hand-carved statute of Jesus on the cross with Mary, Mary Magdalene and Joseph praying at his feet. The altar and lectern are a solid oak. The Stations of the Cross add a touch of magnificence and class to this historic church.

Fr. Patrick Peppard is the pastor at Ss. Peter and Paul. In his homily during our visit he spoke on the gospel reading of the cleansing of the temple in John. Fr. Peppard used historical data and facts to help illustrate the story of the events of that time.

The people of Ss. Peter and Paul are very much filled with God’s loving spirit. They are active in the community and vested in working to make Detroit a better place for everyone. They help serve those who are less fortunate and are willing to give a hand and open their doors to those down on their luck.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Ss. Peter and Paul Jesuit Catholic Church. We especially liked seeing and feeling all the history and beauty it offered within its faith-filled walls.

Up Next: St. Mel’s Dearborn Heights

Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church

Exterior view of SS. Peter and Paul

Marker showing church originally built in 1844

Historic marker

One of the entrances to the church

Some of the religious statutes on display

Mary holding a crucifix

One of the Stations of the Cross

The pews at Ss. Peter and Paul

A view of the altar

Some of the architect on display 

The altar at Ss. Peter and Paul

Christ The Redeemer-Lake Orion

Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church is a family church located in the quiet North Oakland suburb of Lake Orion. This year they celebrated 25 years as a place of worship and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

The entrance to the church is wide and expansive. There is plenty of room to gather, meet with other parishioners and explore one’s faith. Off to one side is a chapel that is great for private prayer, bible reading or quiet reflection.  The gathering space also leads into the main church.

The altar is at the very center of the church which is built in the shape of a circle. There are several rows of chairs that surround the altar on all sides. Directly behind the altar is a crucifix which gives this church’s altar a very unique and distinct look to it. The floors also give the church a different feel; they are made up of multi-colored concrete that shines under the lights of the church.

Fr. Joe Dailey is the pastor at Christ the Redeemer parish. In his homily, he talked about the gospel where Jesus said give to Caesar what is his and give to God what is his. He also invited parishioners of Christ the Redeemer to give freely of their time, talents and treasures to help those less fortunate and as a way to grow closer to God.

Fr. Dailey not only gave the homily but he also led the congregation in song. The entrance song was written by him and he led the congregation in singing it. Fr. Dailey was very tech savvy as well. He used a tablet to help monitor and control information on large screens around the church. By using the monitors he was able to use, not only, his words but images to help convey the message of his homily. He also led a special prayer for all married couples which for me was bittersweet as I rejoiced for those celebrating their marriages while I recalled my own marriage and the sadness I felt knowing Maria is no longer with me.

Our visit to Christ the Redeemer was a joyous and enlightening experience and we thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent at this beautiful church.

Up Next: Ss. Peter and Paul Jesuit-Downtown Detroit

Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church in Lake Orion

St. Francis of Assisi Garden

Garden Bench

Christ the Redeemer Church

Garden if front of church

Garden with church in background

Main entrance to church

baptismal font 

The altar at Christ the Redeemer

Joseph and Mary with Baby Jesus

Christ the Redeemer main church area

St. Robert Bellarmine-Redford

St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church in Redford is a neighborhood church built in the 1950’s during a time when many of the churches in this Western Wayne county area were being built.  Over the years it has retained most of its original architectural design.

The patron saint of St. Robert Bellarmine lived from 1542 to 1621. He was an Italian Jesuit and a Cardinal in the Catholic Church. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930, his feast day is September 17; the day of his death.

The church consists of 2 straight rows of pews that lead straight up to the altar. The altar was covered with a green cloth. There was a large crucifix that was centered over the altar that completed the space. To the left of the altar are large statutes of Joseph and Mary adorning a brick wall. The back wall of the altar is made up of 1/3 brick and 2/3 window which looks out on to church property.

St. Robert Bellarmine’s pastor is Fr. Richard Leliaert and he gave the homily at the mass we attended. Fr. Leliaert spoke on the parable where “the last shall be first and the first shall be last”. Fr. Leliaert used many hand gestures and body language to help tell his homily and during prayer time. It helped give perfect illustration to what he was saying and put his words into wonderful context.  The highlight of the mass was the baptism of 4 newborns. It was a joyous occasion to see them baptized into the catholic faith and helps us to appreciate and thank God for the life he has given us.

We found the people of St. Robert Bellarmine to be a caring and loving group. They spoke of coming together to cook and provide meals at a local soup kitchen as one way they could share the good news of Jesus Christ with those less fortunate. They help out, in many other ways, to spread Christ’s love and we were honored to spend time in mass celebration with them.

Up Next: Christ the Redeemer-Lake Orion

Cornerstone of St. Robert Bellarmine

Main entrance to church

Grounds of St. Robert Bellarmine

St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church

Carving of St.Robert Bellarmine

Altar at St. Robert Bellarmine

The altar

Joseph and Mary

Pastor's sitting area at the altar

Crucifix that hangs over the altar

Patriot Garden at St. Robert Bellarmine